Bruce R. Bartlett

The more I learn about taxes, how they function, how they evolved, the more I come to respect their good intentions and despise their inelegance.

I visualize the tax code much like an elaborate computer program—one that was first written long ago. And in this case, since it's not politically easy to dump the old program and release a new one, the alternative is a succession of targeted patches and endless updates to accommodate an ever-changing world. This in turn creates a cascade of potentially more problems down the line requiring even more fixes. The result: Our annual, modern-day tax-filing headache.

Bruce Bartlett's The Benefit and The Burden is a much-needed, if quite dry, assessment of taxes in present-day America. The best section is the middle one, titled "Some Problems," because there he reviews the substantial barriers to tax reform that go beyond symptom issues like, "They're too confusing." His statement about Americans "tending to view tax collection as theft" especially gave me pause because this lies at the root of why the system is so fouled up. Changing this cultural mindset, which dates back to our nation's founding, will be the most difficult of all. The author closes by making a convincing case in favor of the Value-Added Tax (VAT), which I believe is in our near future if America hopes to get on healthy financial footing again.… (altro)

Bruce Bartlett wrote a book of non-stop citations of Democrat racism throughout the history of the party. The claims he makes are either prefaced or immediately supported by quotations. This is a great introductory book to learn about the misconception that Republicans are and have always been the Troglodytic, hood-wearing racist. From newspaper articles (including partisan press), speeches and correspondence, Mr. Bartlett references all documentation.

What is most unique about this book is he concludes by encouraging the reader to reference original documents by visiting the library and official state and national archives.… (altro)

The author, Bruce Bartlett, is also the author of Reaganomics. He worked in the Reagan White House and in the first Bush Treasury Department. So he has pretty good conservative credentials. Bartlett says that while W ran as Reagan's heir, he has not governed like him. He attacks George W. Bush for his massive spending that, according to Bartlett, will result in the need for future tax increases.

Surprisingly, he commends Clinton for cutting spending and leaving a budget surplus. But he doesn't hold back from attacking liberals, either, saying that their greatest sin "...is their belief that it is possible for them to know everything necessary to manage the economy and society."

This book offers a good hard look at President Bush and our country's economic state. The overall tone is expressed in the first chapter: "I know conservatives, and George W. Bush is no conservative."… (altro)

Bartlett focuses almost exclusively on economic and fiscal policy in his effort to expose George W. Bush as the worst president since Nixon, at least. This can be a little dry, but generally successful.
I tend to be more interested in the social aspects of the Bush ideology, and though I have a good understanding of economics for a layperson, I don't follow the policies as closely as I could. I was surprised to read exactly how poorly planned these policies were by the Administration, and though I knew Bush was a "big-government conservative" I guess I hadn't realized just how big. While "Impostor" didn't focus on my main areas of interest, it was pretty eye-opening and I always find it refreshing to find conservatives/libertarians passing negative judgment on the Bush administration.… (altro)